Seashell Script Reading:

(DOP Notes / Visual References)

Scene 1 (Beach/Sunset):
- Slowly pulsing waves, bliss atmosphere, serenity
- Waves and Seashell sparkles in the glowing sun
- Golden Sunset, nostalgic ambience
- Flashbacks of childhood, bright, high key visions
Scene 2 (Bedroom/Day)
- Neutral lighting
- Stressful, rushing, cluttered
- Michelle is trying to rush out the door
Scene 3 (Living Room/Day)
- MAMA is frantic about Michelles lack of organisation
- Michelle rushes out the door, late for class
- Cluttered room, beach theme
Scene 4 (Classroom/Day)
- Ambience lifts once more after Michelle settles in class
- Michelle lifts her head as the class concentrates
- Match cut to next day
Scene 5 (Classroom/Day)
- Michelle stares into empty space
- The classroom is a bright void
Scene 6 (Cafe/Day)
- Michelle stands in line at cafe
- Daydreaming almost, weightless, not present
Scene 7 (Classroom/Day)
- Michelle lays down asleep on her desk
Scene 8 (Lecture/Day)
- Michelle focuses in on her lesson and words on the whiteboard
- BANG! Scene ends
Scene 9 (Bedroom/Day)
- Motif of shells, she opens a suitcase box of shells
- Michelle places the shells to her ear
- Nostalgia of young girl laughing in a memory
Scene 10 (Beach/Day/Flashback)
- She is 6 years old, dressed in bright colours
- She picks up the same shell that present Michelle holds in her hand
- Her dad is proud of her ndings, and he BABA smiles back
Scene 11 (Bedroom/Day/End of Flashback)
- Michelle smiles with the same grin
- As she pulls the shell away from her ear, her nostalgic youth fades
- She grabs another shell instead, closing her eyes, another young memory returns
Scene 12 (Dining Room/Night)
- Michelle eats with her MAMA, but the mood is tense
- Michelle wants to drop out of her degree
- Low key lighting, evil, MAMA wears black
- They mention the father, but has passed recently, a once successful man
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Scene 13 (MAMA’s bedroom/Night)
- MAMA lays on her bed staring at the ceiling, with an empty side to her bed
- Symbolism of her husband’s passing
Scene 14 (Dining Room/Night)
- Bills are spread across MAMA’s tables, she sits alone
- Dark setting, only few lamps are on
- She sighs under stress
Scene 15 (MAMA’s Bedroom/Day)
- MAMA slowly does up her work uniform in the mirror
- She composes herself
Scene 16 (Dining Room/Night)
- MAMA tells Michelle she won’t be dropping out
- Michelle sits in tension
- Dark room, low key
Scene 17 (Bedroom/Night)
- Michelle sits with her seashells in her lap
- She enters another nostalgic memory
- High key lighting, room subtly lls with light in the darkness
Scene 18 (Beach/Day)
- High key, bright colours
- Young Michelle says she wants to be like her dad
- Her BABA agreeing to having 2 lawyers
Scene 19 (Bedroom/Day)
- Michelle sees a pile of washing, looming large
- She then looks over to an older shell, listening to it
Scene 20 (Beach/Sunset)
- BABA and MAMA share a moment early on before Michells birth
- They talk to here pregnant stomach, as they pick up a seashell, leaving a message
- MAMA leaves some advice for her baby Michelle, and how much of a blessing she will be for
their family

Scene 21 (Bedroom/Day)
- Michelle pulls the same shell away from her ear
- She begins to cry, overwhelmed by the words
- She hears the cry from her MAMA in the other room
Scene 22 (MAMA’s Bedroom/Day)
- MAMA holds a picture of her and BABA together, crying alone on the opposite side of Michelles
bedroom wall

Scene 23 (Beach/Sunset)
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Colour Symbols:

White:
- Western Culture: Pure, innocent, angelic, reborn
- Chinese Culture: Death, mourning (the colour worn at a funeral)

Black:
- Western Culture: Death, Sadness, Despair
- Chinese Culture: Immortality, knowledge, stability and power
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Blue:
- Western Culture: The Sky, the sea, freedom, stability, serenity
- Chinese Culture: healing, trust, long life, spring and brings a positive meaning

Assessments:
- Proof of Production (20%) Friday 27th Aug 4pm
- Cinematography Statement (for each role)
- 2 written pages (images and references used)
- Proof of Production 2 (30%) Friday 8th Oct 4pm
- Visual Storyboard
- Equipment list and notes
- Lighting Diagram and notes
- Visual inspiration
- Final Film (50%) Friday 5th Nov 4pm

Seashell Cinematography Notes:

- Ursa (Any Canon Lens)
- Contrast between high key and low key lighting (nostalgia & dining room)
- Macro (50 or 80mm)
- Wide (18-35mm)

Editing & Cinematography:

- Don't shout cut too soon (for the sound recording)
- Double recording before shooting end to avoid ADR
- Export Apple Pro Res
- 3.0 mix (Surround Sound)
- 5.1 Mix (3D Surround Sound)
- Adobe Prelude (transfer editing les)
- Have a backup hard-drive every 3-5 years
- A scene is as lm in its own, each scene has its own timeline
- USE TRIM TOOL to cut shots
- Subscribe to American Cinematographer Journal
- The Camera Assistant Manual (D. Elkin)
- Australian Society of Cinematography
- Build a look book
- Consider Coverage, Lighting, look and technical aspects
- Include those 1 or 2 money shots
- Lighting setups and references (Lighting Diagram)
- Practical lighting, build your own set with lighting and props
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